Present day automobiles are using more and more electronics for entertainment and navigational purposes. This has given rise to various types of display devices mounted at various locations in the vehicle. These mountings strongly depend upon the type of application. For example, in the case of a large vehicle, a big display for entertainment purposes may be needed. On the other hand, a driver may prefer a smaller map display conveniently located on the dashboard for navigational purposes and entertainment purposes when not driving. In some cases, a single display may be used for both map viewing by the driver and video viewing by the co-passenger or driver at rest. This is because the navigational assistance provided by the display is not continuously required by the driver, and is only required for short time instances. Further, requirements on display position may be different during driving and resting. The portability of the display between different vehicles or out of vehicle is also a desirable attribute. The viewing angle range is important in many situations. Further, the controls of the display must not be confused with other controls which may happen when the display controls are located with other controls in the same area. When a support is provided on the dashboard of an vehicle or in the cockpit of an aircraft, it is necessary for the support to be able to be folded and kept away when not in use.
Most present day display devices used in automobiles are fixed on the dashboard along with other entertainment devices like FM radio, CD player, etc. The driver does not have the option of changing position or viewing angle and these factors limit the usefulness of such display devices. Recently, some display mountings have addressed these requirements. The European Patent WO/9817531 discloses a mount used in the cockpit of an aircraft. However, the mount is not flexible and cannot be used on vehicle dashboards. Japanese Patent JP8159139 discloses another type of mount for GPS sensors. However, the mount is not flexible. A foam and magnetic material based mount is disclosed in European Patent DE4401176, but it is also not flexible and has to be fixed to a body using nails or screws. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,899,956, 6,861,991, and Published U.S. Application No. 2004/0121645 disclose GPS mount relating only to GPS antennas.
Accordingly, there is a need for flexible mounting devices for navigational/entertainment displays, especially for in-vehicle use.